California ‘LGBTQ Community’ Doctor Charged with Sexually Assaulting Male Patients Over 5-Year Period

A California infectious diseases doctor specializing in care for the LGBTQ+ community has been arrested and charged with sexually assaulting at least nine former male patients over a five-year period, prosecutors announced on Tuesday.

Dr. William Thompson IV, 56, of Huntington Beach, was arrested on Wednesday, Sept. 20, at his medical offices in nearby Newport Beach. He was charged with eight felony counts of sexual penetration by means of fraudulent representation of professional purpose, three felony counts of sexual battery by fraud, and two felony counts of forcible oral copulation.

On his website, Thompson stated he “provides General Practitioner services to the LGBTQ Community” and is affiliated with Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian. Prosecutors allege Thompson abused his position of trust with the LGBTQ+ community.

“Many of Dr. Thompson’s patients depended on him to provide life-saving care and he exploited those vulnerabilities for his own sexual gratification,” Todd Spitzer, district attorney for Orange County, said in a statement announcing the arrest. “Unfortunately, because of his specialized area of practice, Dr. Thompson put the very patients he was supposed to treat with professionalism and dignity, in a situation where they may have felt they had no other choice but to be subjected to sexual abuse in order to receive the treatment they needed to continue to live. A doctor’s office should be a place where patients can safely share their most personal vulnerabilities without having to fear they will be preyed upon by a sexual predator. No one should be violated in such a shameful way by someone who has taken an oath to protect their patients.”

Thompson assaulted multiple patients claiming the attacks were medically necessary procedures between 2016 and 2020, “including forcing a male patient to orally copulate him and performing medically unnecessary anal exams,” prosecutors said.

“I would like to thank everyone who worked tirelessly to follow leads and gather information related to this exhaustive investigation,” Newport Beach Police Chief Joe Cartwright said in a statement. “At the heart of our mission is a commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of our community, and this investigation exemplifies our dedication to that mission.

Thompson is currently free on a $100,000 bond. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Nov. 2. Thompson faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted on all charges.

Additional victims or those with information about the case are asked to contact the Newport Beach Police Department at (949) 644-3682. Anonymous tips can be made to (800) 550-6273.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, there is help available. The National Sexual Assault Hotline is open 24/7 and can be reached at 1-800-656-4673. Other resources can be found here.